Dear Child, I Will Nag The Hell Out Of You – Here’s Why

 

After feeling like all I was doing was nagging my nine-year-old, this one thing struck a chord with me and put it all into perspective. If you’re overwhelmed with being the ultimate reminder, you’ll be able to relate.

Dear Child, I Will Nag The Hell Out Of You – Here’s Why

For me, parenthood has completely exacerbated the empathy gene inside me. It has brought on so many emotions and caused me to really take on every emotion that my kids feel in a really big way. Maybe this is why mom guilt rolls deep within my veins at all times. Since there isn’t a handbook given to us as soon as we give birth, we’re left to figure things out for ourselves, which can come with much second-guessing – because we’re human. I’ve spent days feeling like the mean mom or even the bad mom and I hate disciplining because I want my kids to look back at their childhood and have fond memories. But sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.

As Branden has gotten older, I’ve become known in our home as “the nag” and it’s really easy to dissect why: nothing (I mean NOTHING) gets done unless I remind him what seems like fifty million times.

It’s gotten so bad that it even annoys me.

I wish that there was some easy resolution that would power him through things like getting his homework done in a timely manner, cleaning up after himself, and taking a shower – but we have found nothing that works so far. So I nag. And then I nag some more. I nag until I’m blue in the face.

We have screaming matches and sometimes I completely lose it and then I sit and question myself. Why can’t he just listen? Why can’t I just trust that he’s got things under control? It goes on and on and on until I realized that I’m pretty much nagging the hell out of him and everyone else, for that matter.

So I started picking apart the whole situation until everything clicked into place and I found the shinning, shimmering reason that has justified nagging the hell out of Branden.  And you’ll probably never guess why.

It came to me one day while I was no joke, mad folding laundry. Yes, it’s a thing. I had just finished reminding everyone to clean up the living room as I stomped down the hall to do one of many of my daily chores and it all became pretty clear.

The reason why we nag the hell out of our kids and families: it’s because we care.

It’s as simple and black and white as that.

If I didn’t give a crap about Branden (especially, since he gets the bulk of the nagging – sorry buddy!) or anyone else, I wouldn’t do it. But I care. I care so freaking much that it hurts. I care so much about this family of mine that I always, always, always want what’s best for them – even if it means stressing myself out with the endless reminders.

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They are my people. They are my responsibility. And I will nag the hell out of them until the day I die. I can promise them that. And I know that someday when Branden is all grown up, that (hopefully) my voice will be carried with him as he goes throughout his day, remembering all the important things, but mostly how much I love him.

XOXO,

Allison